A leather handbags and accessories producer, My World of Bags (MWOB), has announced the launch of a training initiative to bridge the skills gap in the manufacturing of the products.

Essentially, the initiative called Kafawa, meaning ‘establishment’ is to up the skill of hundreds of Nigerian youths and connect them to work opportunities in the creative sector.

Series of intensive courses in hard and soft skills will be launched during the training which will kick-off its pilot edition in Oyo State.

MWOB, the parent company of FemiHandbags, a luxury accessory brand, is embarking on the project in partnership with The Mastercard Foundation.

The first cohort of trainees, selected based on their passion, availability, and readiness to strive for better, have officially been on-boarded into the Kafawa Training Programme and are very eager to begin a journey that will involve intensive training over a period of four months.

Programme Director and Founder of MWOB / FemiHandbags, Mrs. Femi Olayebi, said: “There is a breadth of potential in the leather and non-leather manufacturing industries in Nigeria, and yet, there is a lack of skilled hands to bring that potential to life. This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is the perfect opportunity to achieve this, by not only equipping young Nigerians with the necessary skill sets to grow and expand the sector, but also to enhance their own economic outcomes.”

At the opening ceremony, Chioma Nwagboso, Programme Lead, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Finance at the Mastercard Foundation said: “We are excited at the potential for Kafawa to create a new generation of young people with a changed mindset and newfound belief that production, tailoring, and manufacturing can provide dignified and fulfilling work opportunities.”